Chapter 53 of 100

Chapter 53

16 min read3,904 wordsMature

As the night deepened and the dew grew cold, Liu Qianyu opened her fragrant boudoir. Several pots of unique night orchids and elegant chrysanthemums were arranged tastefully, adding a vibrant atmosphere to the late autumn season.

The room was brightly lit, and the aroma of tea wafted from the sandalwood table, its lingering warmth refreshing to the heart.

Sitting opposite Ye Yu, Liu Qianyu, seeing that he had been silent for a long time after his arrival, smiled and said, "I have invited you many times in the past, but could never fulfill my wish. I never thought you would visit tonight, which truly delights me!"

"Hehe! I misunderstood you by the river today, and I came specially to apologize. I hope you won't take it to heart..."

"Sir, you are joking!"

As soon as Ye Yu mentioned this, Liu Qianyu's previously smiling face turned slightly red. Recalling the intimate moment by the river, she shyly averted her eyes, unwilling to look directly at Ye Yu.

Ye Yu played with the teacup in his hand and said softly, "It's very cold and windy in late autumn. Didn't you feel cold standing by the river so early in the morning?"

"Ah, today I was a bit restless and a little troubled, so I went to the river to clear my mind! I didn't expect to meet you there; it must have been fate!"

"Oh, is that so?"

Ye Yu rubbed his chin, unsure, and after a pause, continued, "Since you were troubled, why didn't you go to the land temple to burn some incense? Perhaps the gods could help you feel better..."

As Liu Qianyu was pouring tea for Ye Yu, she heard this and her left hand trembled slightly, causing the water to spill a bit onto the table.

However, Liu Qianyu quickly recovered, and if one wasn't paying close attention, they wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.

"Land temple?" Liu Qianyu looked surprised and then shook her head regretfully, "I am not from this area, and I rarely go out from the brothel, so I know very little about the nearby scenic spots!"

Although Liu Qianyu's surprise was fleeting, Ye Yu, who had been observing her, noticed it clearly.

Ye Yu's expression became complex, but he still asked, "I heard that you were sold into the brothel by human traffickers. Is that true?"

"It is true. Fortunately, the madam has not been difficult with me, otherwise..." Liu Qianyu couldn't continue, looking pitiful, which evoked sympathy.

"Why don't I pay to redeem you and marry you in three days? What do you think?" Ye Yu looked at Liu Qianyu and asked seriously.

At the same time, Ye Yu reached out and grabbed her hand without any pretense.

Liu Qianyu was startled by Ye Yu's sudden words and the touch of his hand. The teacup on the table tilted, and the fragrant tea spilled onto the table.

Liu Qianyu hurriedly straightened the teacup and pulled her hand away from Ye Yu's, looking at him in shock, "Sir, you..."

"Are you rejecting me because I am disabled?" Ye Yu asked anxiously.

"No!" Liu Qianyu quickly responded, but then realized she had been hasty and blushed, turning her body to the side.

Ye Yu raised his eyebrows slightly but then smiled softly, "If not, then it's settled. Clean up in the next few days, and I will come to take you in three days!"

After saying this, Ye Yu was about to leave, but Liu Qianyu stopped him, "Sir, I am just a common woman. How can I match you? I think it's better to forget it..."

"Forget it? Since I am willing to marry you, I don't care about your past, unless you don't want to leave this place!" Ye Yu turned around, looking straight at Liu Qianyu, his expression serious.

"I..."

Ye Yu turned his wheelchair away from Liu Qianyu, took a deep breath, and said quietly, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be involved in the case of the local pervert!"

"You..."

Liu Qianyu was stunned by his sudden change of topic from a marriage proposal to a case, feeling both surprised and delighted.

Just as she was about to speak, an unknown object hit her face. Out of habit, she caught it easily. Opening her palm, she saw a copper coin.

At this moment, Ye Yu had already turned around and was looking at Liu Qianyu meaningfully, then said with a bitter smile, "You really do know martial arts!"

Liu Qianyu was caught off guard by Ye Yu's sudden test. He had first confused her with his words, then turned his back to make her relax her disguise, and finally threw the copper coin to test her.

But even so, after a brief moment of shock, Liu Qianyu tried to explain, "I learned a few days of martial arts for self-defense. When you threw the coin, I almost got hit..."

"That's enough, Miss Qianyu. There's no need to say more." After several tests, Ye Yu had already seen through Liu Qianyu's pretense, "What is your relationship with the pervert who committed the crime?"

Liu Qianyu's expression was uncertain, her eyes darting around, and she forced herself to say, "I don't know what you're talking about. What pervert? It's nonsense..."

Ye Yu, seeing Liu Qianyu deny everything, said sternly, "As far as I know, there are no yellow locust trees around here. I only saw one in the courtyard of the land temple by chance. The yellow locust flowers were scattered beautifully, but how could they have drifted several miles to land in your hair? That's quite strange!"

Liu Qianyu recalled the moment by the river when Ye Yu had picked the flower from her hair and was at a loss for words, especially since she had just said she had never heard of the land temple.

"Perhaps these things alone don't mean much, but what puzzles me is why you were so anxious and pacing by the river. And when I was close to you, I noticed a faint smell of sweat mixed with your fragrance. It was chilly by the river in the morning, and you were dressed lightly. What could have made you sweat so much in the morning?"

Liu Qianyu was speechless, unable to respond to Ye Yu's continuous questions. If she had been prepared, she might have been able to answer calmly, but she never expected that their chance encounter in the daytime would make Ye Yu suspicious.

Ye Yu continued coldly, "Most women would be overjoyed to escape the brothel. In Qingliu County, considering my family background, appearance, and talent, I don't think anyone would refuse my proposal. Since you didn't fall into the brothel willingly, your willingness to stay suggests that you are not ordinary!"

Ye Yu learned from She Tongcheng that yellow locust trees were rare in the area. Finding one in the abandoned land temple was already unusual.

Therefore, Ye Yu thought of the locust flower petals in Liu Qianyu's hair, which might have come from a yellow locust tree. If his guess was correct, Liu Qianyu must have visited the land temple before.

Because of these doubts, he decided to visit Zui Chun Lou at night to investigate.

When Ye Yu first suspected Liu Qianyu, he was also surprised. However, after their chance encounter and analysis, he couldn't help but suspect her.

After several tests, he was convinced that she was involved.

Now, thinking back, Ye Yu found it amusing. If not for Pan Zhi's invitation to a gathering, he wouldn't have gone to the Qingliu River.

If not for Li Mo's bizarre question, he wouldn't have met Liu Qianyu by the river, and he wouldn't have noticed the subtle clues during their close encounter.

Liu Qianyu, who had been silent for a long time, did not directly answer Ye Yu's question.

Instead, she looked at Ye Yu with a complex expression, "What you said just now... was just to test me?"

Ye Yu, feeling uncomfortable under her unusual gaze, said, "I just want to know, what is the relationship between the black-clothed man who helped me and you?"

"Ha! Sir, you really like to joke. How could I know the black-clothed man you mentioned?" Liu Qianyu's face was cold, and her tone was much cooler than before.

Ye Yu frowned and lowered his voice, "He asked if I had a birthmark on my left arm!"

"You should ask the thief who cut your sleeve. They might be in the same gang!"

"But a murder happened at the land temple, and the victim's sleeve was also cut. And you must have been to the land temple!" Ye Yu persisted.

Liu Qianyu snorted and said sarcastically, "So what? I have been to the land temple, but what does that prove? As for why I went there and why I tried to hide it, I don't need to explain everything to you!"

"You're right, that doesn't prove much..."

Ye Yu hadn't expected Liu Qianyu to be so difficult to deal with, so he said, "But if I report this to the authorities, I don't think they will let it go! As the saying goes, a new official starts with three fires. If Magistrate Yang is eager to solve the case for political achievements, you might not be safe. The case has been unsolved for months and has spread widely. You might even become a scapegoat, and your backers might not be able to protect you!"

Liu Qianyu's expression changed dramatically, her eyes flashing with hesitation. After a long struggle, she finally looked at Ye Yu, "You seem to be good at reasoning?"

"Could one person alone spread the pervert attacks across the entire Chuzhou region?"

Ye Yu responded calmly. When Liu Yuanshan mentioned the strange incidents in various counties of Chuzhou at Tianxiang Wine House, he knew it couldn't be the work of one person.

"Sir, you know a lot..."

Liu Qianyu was surprised by how much Ye Yu knew.

After a moment, she composed herself and said seriously, "You guessed right. The pervert attacks in Qingliu County are related to me, but I didn't commit the murder at the land temple!"

---